Gentle on My Mind: Caribou Crossing, Book 2

Fox follows Home on the Range (2013) with an entertaining romance starring Brooke Kincaid, aged 43, a recovering alcoholic living with bipolar disorder, and redeemed mother of the first book’s hero. Dedicated to keeping herself stable, Brooke is shaken when RCMP corporal Jake Brannon crashes through her fence on his motorcycle, bleeding from a gunshot wound. He needs help with a drug-related murder investigation; she knows Caribou Crossing, British Columbia, and can give him valuable inside information. Their inconvenient attraction is swiftly resolved by sex that demonstrates Brooke’s increasing self-confidence and Jake’s unconscious desire for family despite believing himself incapable of love. Jake sees Brooke more clearly than she sees herself, and Brooke teaches Jake that he is worthy of affection. Their realistic romance is emotionally engaging, particularly their pain after Jake leaves Brooke to return to undercover work. Fox’s unconventional heroine and successful blending of thriller elements with smalltown romance elevate this offering above its predecessor. Agent: Emily Sylvan Kim, Prospect Agency. (Sept.)